Peaches and Deciduous Fruits 
Ira E. Soar, Chairman of Committee 
L. La Trobe-Bateman, Member. 
Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 
As your Committee of last year cov¬ 
ered quite fully many important points 
leading to the culture of peaches, pears 
and plums, we deem it unnecessary to 
go over this same ground at length. 
We will, however, discuss briefly those 
problems which are of the most vital 
economic importance to the grower, 
and more fully some other phases of 
the subject which were not presented 
last year or not fully developed. Your 
Committee in< this report prefers to 
pass over the topics or discussions on 
pecans and persimmons, as our Presi¬ 
dent has so ably covered these subjects 
in his writings, and we have no further 
or fresh data to present thereon. 
peaches 
We will take the subject of peaches 
under first consideration, and in this 
connection the/ nature of soils most 
adaptable for their successful propaga¬ 
tion. Peaches thrive in almost any soil 
that is well drained, and has the essen¬ 
tial elements of fertility present in rea¬ 
sonable quantities, but the first essen¬ 
tial is good drainage. A soil ranging 
from a clay to a sandy loam will usu¬ 
ally give the best results. In some 
places experience seems to indicate that 
stiff clay or moist land is preferable. 
This, however, is due to the fact that 
the trees are on peach stock and that 
nematodes (to which we refer later) do 
not thrive in such quality of soil. It is 
a known fact and familiar to many that 
a peach tree located in the back yard 
and which receives dish water or soap 
suds almost daily will thrive far better 
than one situated at a distance from 
the home, and only gets water every 
once in a while, possibly not at all ex¬ 
cept what nature may supply. 
Proper location to insure early fruit 
is of great importance. The crest of a 
hill or proximity to water seems to tend 
to keep off frost. If this precaution is 
not taken, the fruit is liable to injury 
from late frosts every few years, and 
this danger increases the further south 
you go in Florida. A sudden freeze, 
not altogether an unusual occurrence, 
is liable to nip the bloom or the swollen 
buds at the most critical moment, and 
the early blooming varieties are natur¬ 
ally more susceptible. As the further 
south along the peninsula the bloom is 
earlier, hence the greater hazard, and 
consequently the greater necessity for 
greater precaution. Later varieties 
may be planted further from water pro- 
